Fulham and Sheffield United will go again in the FA Cup after drawing 1-1 at Bramall Lane.

The Blades took the lead in the first half when Chris Porter clipped home after a good run from Harry Maguire, although the Whites felt they should have had a penalty shortly after when Hugo Rodallega was brought down in the box.

United skipper Michael Doyle was then sent off after half-time and Fulham made their man advantage count when Rodallega nestled a strike inside the post.

But despite controlling proceedings from then on, the Whites were unable to find the crucial second goal, although Philippe Senderos went close when his header came back off the crossbar.

Following heavy rain, there were concerns that the game would be postponed but, after three pitch inspections, referee Andre Marriner confirmed that he was happy to continue with the fixture an hour before kick-off.

The teams were then announced, with René Meulensteen naming an entirely different side to the one that was beaten 2-0 at Arsenal last weekend, with a debut for Josh Passley at right-back, while Muamer Tanković was handed a first start as he lined up in the hole behind lone striker Rodallega.

Lovely link-up play between two of Fulham’s youngsters created an opening in the fifth minute as Chris David and Tanković played a cute one-two. However, George Long did well to smother David’s poked cross at the end of it. The subsequent corner then culminated in Rodallega planting a header a yard wide.

Fulham were dealt a blow 10 minutes in when John Arne Riise was forced to withdraw from the game, with Ange-Freddy Plumain replacing him. Damien Duff switched to left-back as part of the reshuffle.

Tanković was not lacking in confidence and two minutes later he drilled a shot from distance wide having collected Giorgos Karagounis’ clipped ball on his chest.

A lingering leg from Aaron Hughes in the 22nd minute felled a Blades man 25 yards from goal and although Jose Baxter’s set-piece was well-struck, David Stockdale always seemed confident that it was heading off target.

But with little over half an hour played, United did take the lead. Maguire galloped forwards unchallenged and sent in a low cross-shot that Porter flicked beyond Stockdale. Fulham had enjoyed 70 per cent possession up until that point, and Meulensteen will no doubt be frustrated that centre-back Maguire was allowed to carry the ball for so long.

Rodallega then saw a penalty shout fall on deaf ears as he almost capitalised on the treacherous conditions. Pajtim Kasami’s through pass looked as though it would run away from the striker but it got stuck in the mud and he was able to knock it beyond Long before being wiped out. Marriner, though, wasn’t interested in his protests.

Fulham came out of the blocks after the interval with purpose and went close to an equaliser as Kasami bent an effort just wide with Long beaten a minute after the restart. United weren’t content to settle for their solitary goal, though, with Baxter showing neat footwork on the edge of the area shortly after before shooting too close to Stockdale.

But the home side’s task was made all the trickier in the 52nd minute when a moment of madness from Doyle saw him sent off after the Blades captain lashed out at David off the ball. However, they almost doubled their lead soon after when Ryan Flynn broke down the right before drawing a good save from Stockdale as he struck from a tight angle.

Darren Bent then entered the fray in the 56th minute, with David the man replaced. Plumain was getting involved regularly down the left flank and curled an effort wide having cut inside in the 57th minute. The young winger was putting in a real shift considering he was competing with not only the United defenders, but a bogged-down pitch too, as he tried to showcase his dribbling skills.

The teams were taking it in turns to attack and Baxter sent a strike wide moments after Kasami had seen another penalty claim turned down, with the Switzerland international then screwing a left-footed attempt wide of the near post in the 62nd minute.

A minute later Karagounis skipped beyond two Blades defenders on the edge of the area before eventually being scythed down. The veteran midfielder rifled in the free-kick himself but hit it straight into the wall. He went closer not long after, though, with Long needing two attempts to claim his speculative drive from 30 yards.

Meulensteen then made his final change of the afternoon, as Plumain made way for Adel Taarabt.

It was then United’s turn to be denied a penalty when Flynn took a tumble, before Fulham went up the other end as Kasami volleyed Tanković’s knock-down header well off target.

Fulham were beginning to really put the Blades under pressure and it paid off in the 75th minute. Tanković and Taarabt combined well before the Swedish youngster fed Rodallega who hit back across goal and into the corner – a very neat and composed finish from the Colombian.

The Whites were desperate to avoid a Replay and were committing men forward at every opportunity, with a deflected cross from Duff drawing a good save from Long in the 81st minute, before Senderos hit the crossbar with a header from the resulting corner.

Bent was presented with his first sight of goal with four minutes remaining after Kasami’s header across the face fell into his path, but there was too much pace on the ball and he was unable to control his effort which sailed wide from close range.

Rodallega was presented with a gilt-edged chance in the final minute of normal time as he spun just inside the area, but he took his eye off the ball and was guilty of a complete air swing.

Taarabt twice tried his luck in stoppage time – the second an excellent effort that deflected marginally wide – but United held firm to earn a Replay at Craven Cottage.